Britse media euforisch over Baudet: 'Jonge Nederlandse politicus gaat de confrontatie aan met ECB-baas Draghi'

A DUTCH politician clashed with the President of the European Central Bank (ECB) demanding he returns €100bn to the country's coffers if it quits the Eurozone.

Mr Baudet began by raising a document which referred to comments made by the ECB boss claiming that if Italy were to leave the Eurozone they would have to pay back the difference in what they owe.

He said: “As we, the Netherlands, now have a surplus of about €100bn, does this by your own words mean that if the Netherlands decides to leave the Eurozone, which is one of the key points of my party’s programme, we would get back €100m from the southern countries in the Eurozone according to your views?”

The 34-year-old politician and founder of the Forum for Democracy, refused to accept that the Euro had been beneficial for the Netherlands as he snapped back.

He added: “We can disagree about the merits of the Euro, currency and my view is non-EU countries, the economic situation is significantly better.

“Just one point, you said you didn’t want to speculate on about the possibility of the Eurozone falling apart. But isn’t that precisely what you did in January when you were saying, ‘If Italy leaves, it will have to settle the bill’.

“You were actually speculating about the breaking up of the Eurozone, and wouldn’t it be intellectually fair to have the same principles if the Netherlands decides to leave.”